


Billy Hargrove x Kate Hopper

by J_st_patricks_daY28



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Angst, Billy Hargrove Needs Love, Canon Compliant, Canon Rewrite, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Martin Brenner Being an Asshole, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, Physical Abuse, Protective Billy Hargrove, Protectiveness, Smut, Soft Billy Hargrove, cuteness, just cuteness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22995835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_st_patricks_daY28/pseuds/J_st_patricks_daY28
Summary: A collection of one-shots between Billy Hargrove and Kate Hopper. Jane's twin sister 007.*FOR CLARIFICATION*Season 2: Billy is 17, Kate is 14Season 3: Billy is 18, Kate is 15
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Seven | Kate Hopper
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. 2 Sides Of The Same Coin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bundyshoes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bundyshoes/gifts), [HarleyGroveTree](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarleyGroveTree/gifts), [Pixiedustxx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixiedustxx/gifts).



> This chapter was heavily inspired by https://archiveofourown.org/works/21362905/chapters/50886037

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season 3 AU

**2 Sides of The Same Coin**

“Hiding...” Max gives Jane a look of confusion. Not understanding what her best friend was on about. “Hiding? Jane what do you mean?”

“Kate’s hiding. It's not a coma,” Jane quickly clarifies. “She’s hiding in the Void.”

Everyone in the room immediately turn their gaze to Kate's unconscious form.

“If Kate’s in The Void, then why won't she wake up? If she's hiding from the Mind Flayer, then why doesn't she just wake up now?” Dustin asks, one arm on his hip and the other out in front of him. 

“Because she might not even realize she's alone in her own head," Hopper chimes in, suddenly understanding what Jane is saying. If Kate has pushed herself back into the Void, then she could be hiding from the Flayer like she has before when Jane found her. Hop doubts his youngest daughter even knows what was happening now. 

Billy knows that he has to do something. After everything he’s seen inside Kate's mind, the horrors she’s been through, her Papa, he knows he has to help her. Kate saved his life; it was his turn to save hers. 

"Billy can find her again," She says with determination, looking up at her father. She knows he would be hesitant to let Billy try, but he has to try. 

“Jane, sweetheart, that's too-“ Hopper begins, but Jane cuts him off. 

“You said to me once; _you cannot always save everyone, but you always have to try._ Let Billy try to save Kate.”

-

“Are you sure you want to do this Billy?” Max asks Billy as he readies himself, tying a blindfold around his eyes and turning the radio beside him to static. Hopper and Max are very reluctant to allow the whole thing, but they know better than to argue. This is a child’s life on the line, a 15-year-old girl who has been through enough.

"I'm sure," Billy responds confidently. He wants more than anything to get his girlfriend back.

"Alright, everyone but Jane, out. Wait in the hallway," Hopper orders firmly, holding the door open as Joyce leads the kids outside. With one last glance at Jane and Billy, he shuts the door behind him and hopes that their plan works. 

Once the lights are dimmed and the radio static is up, Billy reaches for Kate’s hand, grasping it tightly. Jane exhales shakily, feeling the connection between her twin and Billy bloom like a flower in her chest.

-

Billy’s eyes snap open with a deep breath. He’s surrounded by oak trees and green grass littered with orange leaves. He’s at the park. The sound of a rope and wood creaking draws his attention to a lone figure sitting on a swing with their back facing him.

_Kate…_

Billy makes his way over to the young teen, wondering why she’s chosen this setting or if it’s completely unintentional. The closer he gets, the clearer the image becomes. Kate’s dressed in slightly baggy black pants, a black turtleneck shoulder less top; just like the one he owns, no shoes, with her medium length black brown hair sitting lazily on her shoulders.

She’s dressed like the night she got attacked by the Mind Flayer. The night she got flayed. The night her and Jane had their fight. The night Billy held her as she sobbed violently. The only difference is that there’s not a scratch, bruise, dirt or one drop of blood on her.

As Billy reaches her, he hears the sounds of other voices not too far away, coming from the playground. He sees two people on the metal swing set. It takes Billy a moment to realise it’s him and Kate. From the year before. He looks younger and Kate has a head full of curls.

The shrill cry of Kate's laughter reaches Billy’s ears as he watches his younger self push her higher on the metal swing. Coming around to the left side of Kate, Billy sits on the swing next to her and careful tucks her hair behind her ear to get a good look at her face.

"Kate? Can you hear me?"

She’s silent for a moment, continuing to watch one of her favourite memories play out. Billy sees her gaze drop to the ground before she turns her head to look at him, "You shouldn't be here Billy."

She turns her gaze back to the swing set. A small smile forms when she watches Billy chase her around the trees of the park. 

"Kate, the Mind Flayer’s gone. You're safe now." Billy softly explains, knowing that Kate doesn't know the truth. There’s no telling how long she's been trapped inside her own mind. Kate's smile fades into a frown, her mind ticking over with questions.

“She hates me…” She whispers brokenly, looking up at her boyfriend. “Doesn’t she?”

“Who hates you, Katie?”

“Jane.”

Billy sighs heavily, remembering what Kate told him that night her and Jane had an argument.

_“It’s not my fault you’re so clingy!”_

“Jane doesn’t hate you, Kate, she’s really worried about you. She needs you, Kate. _I_ need you. You have to wake up. We need to go home.”

Kate stares off into the scenery for a few more minutes, Billy’s words echoing over and over in her head.

_We need to go home._

“Home…”

“Yeah home.”

She _is_ home.

“If I go back... I'll lose this,” She says, her voice dripping with sadness, watching Billy tackle her to the soft leaves and kiss her till she’s breathless. She was happy here, her and Billy were happy _here_.

“Katie, you know this isn’t real.” Billy whispers regretfully.

Kate turns to him with a sad smile, her eyes swelling up with tears. “I know... But… I’m okay with that…”

"You're afraid," He states gently, understanding why she’s so reluctant to return home. "Why are you afraid to go back?"

Kate clenches her fists, her nails piercing her palms as tears fall from her eyes. “I’ll lose the only person I care about in this town if I go back. I saw _everything_ he made me do. I remember _everything_. Do you think I _want_ to go back and see all the damage I did? Do you think I want to see the way you look at me now that you know what I did? I can’t live with that Billy… I just can’t…”

“Kate it wasn't your fault,” Billy states, gently grabbing her hand. His words mean something to her, but she doesn't believe him. 

“You were inside my head before. You saw what he did to me, my mom and my sister, right?”

“Brenner,” Billy grits angrily through his teeth, recalling the horrendous memories he witnessed inside of his girlfriend’s mind.

“My mother was tortured because she was looking for us. When she found me… I wanted her to take me away from the bad men. I should’ve told her to run. Now she’s brain dead because of me.” Kate pauses to wipe her tears.

“I killed innocent people for that thing. I handed them over with no hesitation and watched them lose their minds. How am I not a monster?” She asks brokenly, another tear rolling down her cheek. 

“I can't lose you, Billy. I won't lose you like every other thing that I care about, I won't lose you too. Why would I risk going back when everything I’ve ever wanted is right here?”

“If you think you're a monster Katie... then so am I."

“You're not a monster, Billy...” She says. “You're just a boy. Your dad is the real monster.”

“Well then you're not a villain,” He replies, smiling softly. “You're just a little girl.”

Leaning closer, Billy slowly reaches over to turn her face towards him. Those brown doe eyes stare at him sorrowfully, still poisoned with guilt.

“Baby I know you're scared,” He whispers, gently cupping her face with both hands. “If there’s anything to forgive you for, Jane and I already have... But Katie, I will never forgive you if you stay here. No matter what punishment you think you deserve, it's not this... you have to wake up."

“But how?” Kate whispers, staring deep into Billy’s ocean eyes.

Billy doesn’t say anything. Instead he closes the gap between them, pressing a kiss full of love, need and adoration to Kate’s lips.

-

Billy tears the blindfold from his face and winces at the sudden flood of light. He’s meet with Hopper, Joyce and Doctor Owens holding down a thrashing, freaked out but very much awake Kate. He goes to her side and manages to calm her down within a second.

Owens gets Kate somewhat upright to help them remove the ventilator. 

“Alright Kate, I know your freaked out right now, but I need you to focus for just a few moments. I'm going to get this tube out of your mouth, okay? I need you to cough and hack as hard as you can when I tell you to, understand?" 

Kate manages a small nod, tightening her grip on Billy when Owens begins the short countdown. It was unbelievably painful having a thick tube removed from her throat, she starts gagging instantly at the strange feeling. 

The moment the ventilator is removed, thick black slime suddenly starts oozing from Kate’s mouth. Jane throws a bucket to Billy with a quick use of her powers. As Kate spews black goo, Hopper keeps his daughter’s upper body on the bed while Jane holds her sister’s hair back. 

“Is she going to be okay with all this shit coming out of her?” Joyce asks, rubbing her youngest daughter’s back as she continues to vomit up the vile sludge. 

“This is what's left of the Mind Flayer after Billy helped Kate regain control. Think of when the human body is ridding itself of a virus, it's normal,” Owens assures them all, wincing a little at Kate's pain filled gasps. It must be very painful with her chest the way it is.

Hopper gives Billy a washcloth soaked with warm water. Kate’s finally stops gagging and vomiting mind flayer goo. He wipes the revolting sludge away before tossing the rag into the toxic waste bin. Jane pulls a hair tie from her pocket and ties Kate’s hair back into a low ponytail. To keep her neck from getting all gross and sweaty.

“Alright, let my daughter get some rest. Everyone out,” Hopper commands in his Chief of Police voice. The doctors and nurses leave hastily, followed by Dr Owens. 

Hopper, Joyce, Jane and Billy start talking amongst themselves. Kate doesn’t hear what they’re say, because she’s not really trying to listen.

Jane’s saying something about her teddy bear that Billy gave her. Joyce and Hopper are saying something about a triple decker eggo extravaganza. Billy’s not saying anything. Only listening.

-

Kate doesn’t remember when she fell asleep. 

After puking up more mind flayer goo she was feeling extremely dizzy and passed out as soon as she barely managed to get herself back into bed. Looking out the window, she sees the night sky and soft glow from the hospitals security lights outside. It's when she goes to lift her arm to rub the sleep from her eye, she suddenly realizes that she isn't alone. 

Glancing down, she sees a familiar metal pendant attached to a silver chain... 

_He came back._

Billy’s asleep, in his usual spot his right arm wrapped around her small frame. Minding her injuries, she slowly shifts and plants herself on top of his chest. She burrows closer to Billy. hooking her fingers around the silver chain she fiddles with his pendant.

Kate feels the emptiness inside her begin to fade. Even when she doesn't want him to, he always comes back. She'd push him away; he'd come right back. She'd yell and scream, even break things, yet Billy never gives up on her. 

What did she ever do to deserve a boyfriend like Billy Hargrove?

“I'm sorry...” She whimpered quietly, burying her nose against his shirt. “I'm sorry, Billy.”

She swallows a sob, her throat feeling tight. She needs to get all this shit off her chest otherwise she’ll explode. No time like the present right?

“I know that I say things you don't like, or I do shit that makes you angry. But the truth is I'm scared," She mutters, wretchedly. 

"I'm so fucking scared… that there's going to be a day when you--" She bites her lip to fight back the wave of emotion gushing up in her throat. "When you see that you don't _need_ me...and that scares me. A lot. You've never given up on me...even when you should have. Even when I wanted to give up on myself. You stayed. I'm sorry I didn't understand that sooner..."

She knows Billy loves her, that’s never something she questions, but somehow, she always thinks that won’t matter in the long run. But now, she knows her boyfriend will go to the ends of the Earth for her, just as she will for him. Billy’s become her world and she will do everything and anything in her power to keep it that way.

“I may not always be able to live for _myself_ ,” She whispers, pressing her lips against his. “But I can definitely live for _you_ , Billy. I love you.”

 _That she can promise..._


	2. Accidents happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate has an anxiety attack when she accidently breaks a glass. Billy helps her see through it.  
> .  
> Inspired by https://archiveofourown.org/works/15047861

“Kate! I’m home!”

No answer. The living room is empty, so where’s Kate? Billy walks into the kitchen, he finds Kate on the floor with a broken glass next to her and her arms wrapped around her head. “I’m sorry, Billy! I’m sorry!”

Billy gets down on his knees next to Kate. “Hey, Kate, it’s okay. Nobody’s going to hurt you. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s okay.” Kate keeps her arms wrapped around her head and breathes heavily. More than anything, Billy wants to reach out and hug his girlfriend, but he knows he can’t. Not when Kate is like this.

“Baby, I’m going to clean up the glass and give you a chance to calm down. Then I’m going to come back and sit next to you on the floor until you feel better. You’re not in trouble, doll. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Billy sweeps up the glass shards and throws them into the recycle bin. When he’s finished, Billy sits down on the floor next to his girlfriend and tries to comfort her again. Kate is still lying on her side with her arms wrapped around her head. Her breathing is normal, but her eyes are shut tight.

“Sweetheart, it’s me, Billy. Can you tell me where you are?”

Kate keeps her eyes closed. “At home.”

“And who lives with you at home?”

“You.”

“Can you tell me how old you are?”

“Fifth teen.”

“And what’s your full name?”

“Kate Byers-Hopper.”

“Nice job, Katie. Now why are you keeping your arms around your head like that?”

“To protect it.”

“From what, doll?”

“Getting hit. Or kicked.”

Billy sighs heavily through his nose. “Who are you afraid is going to hurt you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is it me?”

“No.” Kate’s answer is almost immediate. She knows that Billy would _never_ hurt her.

“So why don’t you try taking your arms away from your head and opening your eyes for me?” Kate does as she’s told but stays lying on the floor with her knees pressing against her chest. She looks up at her boyfriend and starts to cry.

Billy can see a line of blood coming from her nose. She must’ve accidently broken the glass with her powers while cleaning or something.

“I’m sorry, Billy. I didn’t mean to. It was an accident I swear.”

“I know, baby. I know.” Billy reaches out and stroke his girlfriend’s hair, Kate leans into his touch, wanting to be as close to him as possible. “Everybody breaks things sometimes, doll. It’s normal. You didn’t do anything wrong, and I’m not mad at you. You’re safe, Katie. You’re safe with me.”

Billy continues running his fingers through his girlfriend’s hair, and Kate relaxes her legs and slowly sits up, Billy opens his arms for a hug and Kate crawls into his lap, holding her boyfriend tightly. “I’m sorry, Billy. I’m really sorry.”

Billy hugs his girlfriend with one arm and rubs slow circles into her back with his other hand. “You don’t have to be sorry, Kate. It’s a just cup; we can get another one. I don’t care about the glass, doll. I care about you. I want to make sure you feel safe, that you’re not afraid, and that you know I’m never, ever going to hurt you.”

“I know. But sometimes I remember the bad men.”

“I know you do, Katie. But the bad men are never going to hurt you again. Because I’m your boyfriend, and nobody hurts my girl.”

Kate presses her face into the side Billy’s neck, and he goes back to stroking her hair. “And I’m not the only one here to protect you. There’s your mom and dad, your brothers, Jane, and all your friends. None of us are ever going to let anything happen to you.”

Kate holds onto Billy like a lifeline. “I love you, Billy.”

“I love you too, angel.”


End file.
